Sent 19 October 2001
This was posted on rec.hunting.
This past weekend I was out on a Pre-season Scounting trip for my upcoming elk hunt. Not familiar with the area I had spent 2 dasy in the previous months doing the same and was quite comfortable. This was nearly a fatal mistake. The story below is totally true, and I post it now to hopefully keep someone else from becoming too comfortable as I was.
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I was scouting for an upcoming elk hunt today and narrowly escaped a mountain lion attack. I was not carrying any weapons and apparently surprised the big cat as I was looking for tracks and signs of elk. I was approximately 35-40 yards away when I heard it Hissing and Growling at me.
It took me a few seconds to figure out where it was and then What it was. As I began to slowly back up and the Cat got low to the ground and began pursuing me with a stalking appearance. It seemed like a dream or a nightmare from that point on. I yelled and clapped my hands and yelled and then picked up a rock and tossed it within a few feet of the cat which just seemed to make it madder. He took a couple fast strides toward me closing the distance and I had nowhere to go. It's Amazing the thoughts that go through your mind in a moment like that. In retrospect, every thought had the same theme, I needed to make a decision involving "flight or fight" and I took a little of both. Remembering that I read somewhere that you should make as much noise as possible and raise your arms to try to look as big as possible when your are fearing an attack from a bear or mountain lion I tried that, but the cat kept coming and making his own noise. Looking around for a "weapon" I pulled and exposed root from a tree that looked as if it had been had been lightning struck. For a half second I thought about climbing that tree, but the root seemed more useful. It was tough to pull loose and as I pulled a second time it broke free pulling a 3ft section of trunk with it. I continued to yell for my hunting partner (Phil) who I had last seen 15 minutes earlier when we decided to split up to cover more ground. My yelling for help still went unanswered, except for the continuing growl and hissing of the big cat approaching and now only 20-25 yards from me. I continued to yell and back up on the uneven rocky ground, planning what to do if it kept coming. I had to fight with all my mind the urge to turn and run, knowing I had no chance to make it to the vehicle which I was guessing to be 300 yards away. I began backing a bit faster and still yelling. The 4-5 ft "L" shaped branch I had up at my side, poised and ready like Luis Gonzalez from the Diamond Backs waiting for the right moment. I figured I would at least get in one good shot before the Lion got me. I took a couple sideways glances to see where I was going and the cat moved quickly taking about 4 or 5 fast, long and low strides, closing the gap between us to a meer 20 feet or so at which time I decided to try one last scare tactic. I swung the Branch across the front of me and yelled again something like YEEEAAAAAHHH. As the branch whooshed through the air I "knew" I was done for! I was wishing I had take a gun with me or a radio or something, anything! Then I thought in my mind among a hundred other thoughts, a quick prayer which no doubt is uttered by many people in imminent danger. God help me!
The cat stopped as I was re-positioning the branch for the next and probably the last swing. It looked to the side and back at me. It raised up a bit on its back legs and swung both paws at me but did not continue to move toward me. Instead it moved off to what I thought was parallel of my path to the truck. It diverted from it's intense pursuit of me with only 15 feet seperating us. My heart now finally began beating again. So hard it seemed it would jump out of my chest. I kepth thinking I have to get back to the truck, but that cat is trying to cut me off! I clutched the branch and stayed poised and totally focussed on the fact that the cat was still out there and could be around any tree waiting to attack. I walked up the hill and saw the truck, covering the roughly 200 yards to the truck carefully and briskly looking every direction and expecting the worst.
Thankfully I never saw the Cat again. I fired a single shot once I got to the truck, and then saw Phil coming over the rise about 50 yards away. He knew something was going on, but I found out he never heard what I was saying, only that he heard someone yelling and thought it was me. He said he didn't know what was wrong, but knew that something was up with the tone of the yelling.
Take your own lessons from this true story. I have
some of mine listed below. I also invite anyone to contribute thoughts
and helpful ideas for myself and others. By the way we only saw one Cow
elk late in the day!
Thanks for allowing me to post this story. Every word is true, and I took my lifesaving branch home with me. It is not a great prize to anyone else but it will be displayed in my back yard as my own reminder. M G 10-13-2001
This incident took place in Arizona unit 6A approximately 20 miles N.E. of Camp Verde.